The students at the iLEAD Lancaster Charter School recently competed against other schools from across the world during an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Challenge in Australia.

The event took place in Dalby, Queensland, Australia where “Team Hybrid” took 11th place out of 26 teams they competed against.

“Watching the students tackle this project head-on, without fear, and watching them face many challenges and hurdles along the way, while using grit and determination to overcome and work through whatever came their way was inspiring,” said SCVi Team Facilitator David Williams. “It reminded me why I love education.”

Team Hybrid consisted of four students, all within different grades:

• Ryan Monroe, 11th Grade- iLEAD Innovation Studios
• Jacob Williams, 10th Grade- iLEAD Exploration (Home study)
• Chloe Williams, 9th Grade- iLEAD online and iLEAD Hybrid
• Cristian Balaton, 8th Grade- iLEAD Innovation Studios.

Although the team beat out 15 other schools from around the globe, it was never an easy process for them. Since the beginning of their journey, the team began with four members, which can be considered a disadvantage since their team size was fewer than the other competitors.

“We decided to compete within a few months of the competition, so it was more of putting together a last-minute team,” said Williams. “In the future, we will open it up to all students to participate.”

And because of the time constraint, Team Hybrid was forced to purchase a manufactured drone and quickly threw together designs for their dropping mechanism, while other teams had the time and advantage of creating customized build-outs.

During the challenge, the students were put in a scenario where they needed to deliver an EpiPen to “Outback Joe,” who was in desperate need of medical attention, according to Williams.

The team flew their drone over a hurdle, which was approximately 12 feet tall, carefully dropped the supporting cage so that the EpiPen would not break, flew over a second hurdle and finally landed.

“To see them use the skills they have developed by doing project-based learning and watching them dive deep into the project and flourish when they presented was truly inspiring,” said Williams.

The team not only competed in the unmanned aerial vehicle challenge, but was also given the opportunity to explore Australia and Fiji.

“We had a layover in Fiji and had the opportunity to take a tour and experience the traditional culture of a small Fiji village,” said Williams.

Throughout their trip, the team was also able to visit downtown Brisbane, the Steve Irwin Zoo and the beaches of Noosa Heads, as well as snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef of Lady Elliot Island.

“I know this is cliché, but truly anything is possible when you put your mind to it,” said Williams. “I watched four students use the skills and talents that they have, and minimal resources available, to create a competitive delivery method.”

For more information on the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Challenge, visit the website here.

To learn more about iLEAD, or to become a volunteer with the drone team, visit the website here.

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